LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL,

At the inquest at Pae'oa, Auckland, touchIng the daafeh of a middle-aged man named Thomas Stephens, the evidenoe showed tlitt. deceased had been drinking with some others to ft fetid »nd wont fc> the twt of a crises

nnmed Vuss to have a sleep. During the night Stephens, who had " be'eo very ill from the effects of the drink, appears to have got up and fastening a strap to the stringer of the tint placed it round his . nesk. The stringor was only 4ft from the ground, while the strap wus hanging 18in below thai;. When the other men rote in the morning they cub the body down. The medical evidence was 'to the ffect that death was due to alcoholic coma, accelerated by partial asphyxia, which was produced by the position in wnioh the deceased iad placed himself— viz., by putting his head in a thin strap and leaning on it. Mr Edison professes to have discovered a chemical substance which enables the Rontgen shadows to be seen directly by the naked eye, with the result that the physician may soon be able to study his patient alive as he now does at an autopsy. DaTz<el's New York correspondent telegraphed on March 8: — " A striking account has been received here from Havana of the tragic death of a young Cuban heroine. On Thursday last she led a force of armed men aud women in an action near Oiayita. When the flghtiug Began she placed her back against a tree, loading and firing her carbine, and taking her cartridges from the bosom of her dress, which was the only garment she, wore. ' After tbe usual wild firing at long range thd combatants gradually drew nearer to each other, when the insurgents, following their usual tactics, took cover. A party of the Spaniards made a rush at the youDg Cuban girl, who had not sought shelter among the trees, bat was standing her ground, uttering loud cries and encouraging her followers. She succeeded ' for some time in keeping the Spaniards at bay, but finally her rifla became clogged. .She then threw it away and drew a revolver from her belt. As the Spauiurds made a detei mined rush for her she waited until they were within a few yards of her, when she brought down three with her revolver. The soldiers replied with a volley, and she fell with four Bullets in her breast. As a Spanish officer leaned over to examine her she railed herself on her elbow, and with another shot killed him. She then fell back crying, *Long live free Cuba ! ' and within a few moments expired." The Dunedin Horticultural Society's show is to ;be held on Wednesday, 6th May, in the Garrison Hall. The departure of the handful of Jews who have left Russia during the past decade has not (says the Jewish Chronicle) appreciably decreased the total population of the Jewish P*lo. On the contrary, we are receiving, both from private sources of information and from the communications of the Ruseo Jewish Commifcteo, accounts of an appalling congestion in the Pale of Settlement. The firm, if unobtrusive, rigour of tbe Government officials is making itself felt. The iron wall which separates the Pale from tha rest of the country is rising to threatening proportions. Nona but the most adventurous can scale it ; none but the most adroit can evade the vigilance of the restrictive edicts which, passed as "temporary" enactments 15 years ago, have now, by sheer force of age, become part of the fixed and settled -laws of the land. The condition of things within the .Pale, fills us with dismay and anxious foreboding. Human beings cinuot live, as the Jews of 'Rossis 'are expected to live, without suffering moral and physical degradation. That a cruelly persecuted race should now ba subjected to as grinding an oppression as any our fathers experienced in the Middle Ages is surely a sorry comment on the supposed civilisation of Europe. A painful family mystery has, it is reported jupt been cleared up by a Liverpool chimuey sweeper. Having swept a chimney, he attacked the oven fines with a brush, but encountering unexpected resistance, he rolled up his sleeve and introduced his arm. After considerable exertion he got hold of what proved to be a bag of some weight; and this he deposited upon the hearth. Upon opening it he discovered to his surprise that it contained abjut £40 in coin. The lady of the house was equally astonished, ■ but, instead of showing signs of gratification, she burst into tears and almost lost consciousness. The sight of the money (says the repott) recalled to her the departure from home of a long lost eon. The found treasure was the result of bard saving, and to keep tbe money secure she had put it into a chink in the chimney, and had forgotten its hiding place. Her eon was not a model of steadiness, and the mother, not being able to find the money, accused him of having taken it. He indignantly denied the charge, and strode out of the house, never to return. The discovery of the money thus brought with it a flood . of painful memories and bitter rfemorae at the* unfounded accusation brought against her son who, it is hoped, may learn of the present incident and communicate with his mother. "Peter Lombard," in the Church Times, reproduces an -."amazing cutting" from the Dsily Mercury of July 12, 1804:— "An enormous whale is said to have beea stranded off Flamborough Head in the year 1259, in a state of dreadful exhaustion, with a church steeple sticking out of his mouth. On cutting up the sacrilegious monster, which could not be performed so quickly as to prevent his convulsions ftei&ssttiflg all tb« bells a-rtoging, the. whole,

congregation wore found in the body of the church enclosed in the stomach of the leviathan in the very act of singing Psalms, and the parson in the vestry taking a glass of wine bafore sermon.".

It is understood that the City Council (in conjnnction with the Reserves Conservation Society) have accepted a tender for fencing the Southern Market Reserve, which was laid out so tastefully during last winter by the unemployed engaged under the supervision of the Conservation Society. Along the Princas street frontage the fence will be of the same kind as that round the Triangle and Octagon, while that along the Manor street frontage will ba somewhat plainer. ,-

One of the inmates of Seacliff Asylum, who made his way out from the garden there, is losing anxiously looked for by the police, assisted by some of the warders from the asylum.

. Arrangements are being made to hold a meeting shortly of Olago Progressive Liberals.

Messrs A. Baldey, W. Dallas, and J. P. Maibland are gizetted as School Commissioners for the district of Ocago.

Mr R. Crabb, the New Zealand lecturer for the Grand Lodge, 1.0.G T., has resigned his appointment, which has been offered to and accepted by Mr Thomas Walker, of Sydney, who has been recommended by the leading temperance workers and clergymen of Sydney as possessing exceptional qualifications for the work. Mr Walker is expected to begin his labours in Dunedin about the beginning of May. He was a member of the last Leg : slative Assembly in New South Wales, and ie spoken of as being, without exception, the most eloquent speaker ia that colony. ,

The death is notified of Mr John Styles, who died at the residence of his son, Gore, on the 27th ult., at the age of 71 years. Mr Styles lived for many years in the Port Chalmers district, subsequently removing to Portobello, the township of Oban b^ing laid off and put into the market by him. He had many friends in Port Chalmers and on the Peninsula, and was greatly'eeteemed and respected.

The Dunedin Burns Club will hold a special meeting on tha 21st July, the centeuavy of the pbet's death. A wreath of cative shrubs is now being made by Messrs Howden and Monorieff, whioh is to be sent to the Bum* Mausoleum at Dumfries. Mr John Mill, of Port Chalmers, now on a visit Home, will represent the club at the unveiling of the Highland Mary Statue at Dunoon at the Dumfries gathering.

Mr A. C. Hanlon has b?en presented, on behalf of some of the girls emp'oyed in Messrs Ross and Glendiniog's factory, with a handsome silver- mounted stick suitably inscribed and a silver-mounted amber cigarette-holder in recognition of services rendered daring the recent dispute in connection with the Tailoresses' Union.

The three Australian banks— viz , the Union, New South Wales, and Australasia— have agreed to reduce the interest rates on deposits to 3 per cent, for twelve months and l£ psr cent, for six months. This is with a view to reducing the lending- rates later on.

The CommitteaoE the Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society met on the 28th ult., at the office of Me Walter Hislop, the hop. treasurar. Mr Torrance, the agent of the society and chaplain to the institutions, gave a general statement regarding the pastoral work, and a considerable number of cases assisted materially and by effect since the beginning of the financial year. Mr Hislop having reported as to the state of the bank account, it was resolved that the usual steps be taken to raise the requisite funds for the year.

The vital statistics for the past month are as follow :— Births 105. deaths 43, marriages 53. In the corresponding month of last year there were 90 births, 50 deaths, and 46 marriages.

At the Intercolonial Fruit-growers' Conference Mr F. Manson Bailey, F.L S., a noted Australian botanist, represents Queensland. He has been a resident of Australia for 57 years. He has brought with him for exhibition at the conference collections of some 150 sorts of fungi whioh infest living vegetation, and some 70 or 80 different specimens of Queensland medicinal plants, with short notes on the same.

At the meeting of householders of the Green Island district (Mr Frank Turner being voted to the chair), the ballot for a school committee resulted as follows -.—Messrs W. Benfel 34, Frank Turner 33, B. R. Green 30, A. Bayley 27, G. Russell 24, N. Maclean 24, W. Higbefc 23, H. Harraway 23, D. B ichaoan sen. 20 (elected), W. Geddes 19, H. Berry 19, J. Bayley 18, F. Graham 13.

The Wakstipu Mail ropor'cs that the Queanstown Borough Council, at the instance of Captain Wing, resolved to bring under the notica of the proper authorities an act of bravery on the part of a Queenstown youth in saving the life of one Frederick Hunter. The incident, which occured more than a month ago, was one in which three drunken man and another (said to have been sober) were in a, boat, and we are informed that when about six or seven gfuidfi fsoa the wharf two o£ the dcuxfo d«<

liberately pushed the other, Hunter, into the lake. Hunter sank at once, when Master W. Mehaffey, assistant clerk in the Shipping Company's 1 offioe, jumped in with all his cl • tb.es on and got hold of Hunter, but the latter clutohed his rescuer and both went down together. Hunter, fortunately for both, immediately loosened his hold, when Mehaffey, still " standing by," caught him from behind with both hands, brought him to the surface, and in an all but exhausted state pushed the man to the beach. AH this time the sots in the boat weae making fun of the affair, and talked of it afterwards in the lightest manner possible. The laugb, however, would have been on the other side, as the saying goes, if. Hunter bad been drowned and they received condigu punishment for manslaughter. As for Hunter, he is apparently jost about as callous as his mate?, for we hear he has not even as much as thanked his rescuer.

On March 17, at Praston, England, F«nny Lee Collier, aged 38, was charged with baing drunk and incapable. About eight months ago prisoner returned from Australia in possession of £9000. She squandered most of the money in London, where she created some sensation, and was now entirely destitute. On promining to go to Liverpsol, where she said she had friends, she was discharged.

Of all the sovereigns in the world, the Shah of Persia is said to possess the largest treasure in jewels and gold ornaments, it being valued at £12,000,000. The chief object of value is tbe old crown of Persian rulers, in the form of a pot of flowers, which ia surmounted by »a uncut ruby, the size of a hen's egg. The diamonds in another symbol of his rank are said to weigh almost 201b. There is also a jewelled sabre valued at £320,000. Another thing that the Shah prizes'is a silver vase ornament with 100 emeralds, whose equals, iti* said, ara not to be found in the world. In the oollection there is a cube of amber which tradition Bays fell from heaven in the "days of Mahomet, and insures the posoessor against bodily harm.

A case of a St. Bernard dog swing a man's life was reported from Dover on March 19. Two men, together with a gentleman named MAdam, left St. Margaret's to sail a boat to Dover, Me MAdam having with him a large St. Bernard dog When off the Foreland the boat suddenly capsized. The accident occurred only about 300 or 400 yards from tbe shore. Mr M Adams life was saved by his dog, which swum with him to the capßized boat, upon which he succeeded in getting astride— the dog subsequently swimming ashore. Mr MAdam remained npon the boat for about 20 minutes until rescued. The two men — whose names wera Bafcts and Cox — were drowned. - Bebfcs had only recently received the Royal Humane Society's award for saving life.

His Eminence Cardinal Moran, Archbishop Carr, and the Very Rev. Dr O'Haran (the cardinal's secretary^ arrived at the Bluff by the Mararoa on Friday morning, and, coming on by tbe south express, reached town shortly after 7 p.m. They were aocorded an enthusiastic reception, and driven to the cathedral, which, together with the convent buildings and the Bishop' h Palace, was brilliantly illuminated. Au address of welcome was presented in the presence of a large congregation. Dr Will reported on Friday to the Taieri County Council that a case of scarlet fever existed at Abbotsford. The proposal to form a New Zealand Natives' Association is now taking definite shape. The idea i* to bold meetings about the m'ddle of May in all centres, and appoint provisional committees in each to draw up suggestions as to the constitution, rules, &0., and what the principal planks of the association* platform should be. These would be submitted to a second meeting, which would elect delegates to I proceed to Wellington, there to draw up a I constitution. The Australian Natives' Aesooia- ' tion has been so successful that there is every p-obabilitv of a like succass attending a New Zealand Natives' Association. Some opposition is phown in Wellington by the Ministerial I journal, which looks upon the movement as likely to be a deep device on the part of Sir R. I Stoat to capture the constituencies. As the platform h%s yet to be framed it of course roasts with those who become members to decide what the special aims and objects should be. The promoters say it is only desired to unite nativeborn New Zoalanderg in helping forward the, social and political advancement of their country. The steamer Napier, which arrived at Dunedin on Friday from Waikawa, brought 34 pieces of splendid granite, intended for the memorial to the late Bishop Moran. The stone ' is all of picked quality. J The committee of the Wellington Chambsr of , Commerce intends to again urge upon the . Commissioner oE Telegraphs that permission I should be granted to have abbreviated addresses j registered on payment of a small fee.

In reference) to the Bight Hon. J. Chamberlain's circular regarding the volume of British trade, the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce passed a. resolution to the effect that they could not give any definite information, for the leason that in the figures taken from the Government Asiatics t*jut»hiwments into the Uaite4 Kingdom were ftvidenWa treat* d as im-

ports from that country. The only course they could suggest was to require importers when passing entries to declare ths place of manufacture or production ; and they added that it was impossible to give reasons why these goods were preferred exoept in such a general manner a* would be praotioally worthies*.

Anti-Semitism is being carried to a ridiculous) length in Berlin. The organ of the agriculturists there has proscribed everything that is Jewish.— Jewish music among the rest. It publishes no critiques about Jewish performer! or the works of Jewish composers. When the Rubinstein Memorial Celebration was held in Berlin it refused to give an account of it, and its musical critic left; being followed the other day by his successor, when the paper, on the same grounds, refused to open its columns to a repbrfc of a performance of Mendelssohn's "St. Paul." The meetjng of the Dunedin branch of the Educational Institute, called for Saturday morniog, lapsed owing to the sm«llness of the attendance. Mr A. Hamilton was to have read a paper giving "A Sketch of the Rise and Pro* greas of Geographical Discoveries," and the members present reqnested him to contribute it at the annual meeting of the institute. A young man named John Murdooh, who resides in Cumberland street, fractured bis collarbone while playing football on the Asylum grounds on Saturday afternoon. He wan conveyed to the hospital, where he received tha necessary surgical attention. A New Plymouth telegram states that tht Awakino dumrayism inquiry held there concluded, on Saturday, when the Land Board passed the following resolution:—" That in the opinion of this board the evidence does not disclose any breach of the act on the put of Mrs Elliott, lessee of section 3, block VIII, Awakino, .sufficient to warrant the board to forfeit her ssction." The Advances to Setters B ard haye passed loans to the amount of £34,000.

The total output of coal from the Wegtporl Coal Company's mines for April was 18,755 tons 12owt.

Messrs Thomas Wilson, P. Ryan, and Henry Bishop have been elected without opposition as membera of ths Otago Heads Road Board.

Something has at length been h#ard about Mr A. W. Bcown, an ex-m<iyor of Wellington, who disappeared about five years ago. A resident of Folding has received a letter from Mr Treßeder, now engaged in journalistic work in the City of New Orleans, U.S. A , who s*ys :— " I was in a house the other night, and in the room were five New Zoalanders (born), and you can bet wo had quite a time. Three of us wen born within eight milei of eaoh other down in Dunedin, and the other two in Wellington. One of them was Brown, who was at one time mayor of Wellington, and in the grocery business. He is doing very well hero."

The hospital returns for the past week are ai follow :— Renaainiog from the previou* week, 108 ; admitted during the week, 12 ; discharged, 18; deaths (Slaviont Jo«ephus King ford and John Wilson), 2;— total2 ;— total remiining, 100. . , The annual report of the. Mutual Lif< Association of Australasia for 1895, which is to hand, is of a, nature likely to be satisfactory to members. There is an improvement all round which is highly creditable to the management. The report shows that the new business- submitted to the directors during the year comprised 2105 proposals for sums amounting to £673,300. Of these 591 were deolined, not taken up, or are in coarse of completion, foe £185,138 ; and 1514 policies were issued for assurances and endowments amounting to £508,163, the annual premiums on whioh are £13,665 4s 4d. This is an . increase of £100,000 on the association's returns for 1894, and it is all the more noteworthy as several other life offices show a considerable falling off for the same period. The society's mortality experience has been singularly favourable, the claims by death being both in number and amount the smallest recorded during tha last five years. Expenses have been further economised, and show re* duotions under many headings. The balance sheet is very explicit, and tha ascooiation follows the commendable practice of showing separately the items of interest: accrued and interest in arrear— a rule that, as the Sydney Bulletin sayi, "might be copied with advantage by several other colonial life offloes." Ths faot that the interest due, but nob yet p&id,^ only amounts to £1116 19«8don considerably over hftlf & million lent on mortgage, speaks well for the character of the association's in< vestments. The total revenue for the year was £196,364 8j Bd, and the total funds no?r asaoun* to £1,087,767 11s 4d. -'' We have to acknowledge* receipt of Stoned 1 * ____»___c__sa>Maa~^» t